Research fields of the Instituts of Information Management in Mechnaical Engineering IMA are the utilization of information technology methods for applications in mechanical engineering, especially for eHealth, Production Technology, Traffic and Mobility. At the IMA methods for data and information integration to control and observe production systems are developed. Artificial intelligence methods are enhanced to realize the cognitive control and self-optimization of robot-based assembly systems. Static and dynamic driving simulators, industrial robots (ABB, Motoman) and mobile robots (Robotino, NAO) allow an experimental evaluation of the developed solutions. Highly distributed systems, their modelling and realisation play a central role.

The Center for Learning and Knowledge Management ZLW is a central scientific institution at the RWTH Aachen University. At the ZLW trend-setting concepts and solutions for innovative, organizational development and learn and knowledge processes are studied, developed and implemented, especially for science, economy and politics. The main research area is the system-oriented consideration of organization, human resource and technology development. In four research fields - Career Research, Innovation Research and Futurology, Didactics in STEM Fields and Knowledge Engineering – research, learning and service projects are carried out by interdisciplinary research teams. New teaching and learning forms using virtual/augmented realities are used and further developed in the 3D Virtual Theatre.

The Associated Institute for Management Cybernetics e.V. of the RWTH Aachen University also belongs to the institute cluster formed by IMA and ZLW. The premises of the cluster comprise the education laboratory for pupils “RoboScope”, the DLR lab, the laboratory “Cognitive Car” with a truck simulator and a 3D Virtual Theatre. The institute cluster runs the central computer pool “ZuseLab” for the faculty with over 300 work places.